


Somebody to Lean On

by percyspandapillowpet



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: M/M, Nico comforts Will for once, Pre-Relationship, angsty but fluffy too don't worry, originally written 2/15/2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2016-12-23
Packaged: 2018-09-11 11:28:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8977846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/percyspandapillowpet/pseuds/percyspandapillowpet
Summary: “Are you alright?” he asked without really thinking about it.Will glanced up from the floor he had been studying so intently. “Me? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” He then paused, the realization of what Nico’s words meant dawning on him. “Wait. Did you just ask me how I was feeling?”Nico knew his face was turning red. “Maybe…yeah, what’s wrong with that?”Will smirked. “So you were worried about me.”Nico was going to gut him, as soon as he found his sword. “No. I just didn’t want you to throw up. ‘Cause you look kind of sick.”





	

**Author's Note:**

> There aren't enough fics where Nico is the one comforting Will, just sayin

For once, Nico was feeling somewhat…happy.

Since the end of the Giant War, everything had been going well for him. He had cleared the air with Percy and Annabeth, formed a brotherly bond with Jason and Piper, and was keeping in contact with Hazel, Frank, and Reyna through Iris-messaging. He had friends who cared about him just as much as he cared for them, and he was surprisingly sure of it. It was a strange feeling, but he enjoyed every moment of it. 

Of course, none of that compared to Will.

Will was one of the most—no, take that back, _the_ most—obnoxious demigod Nico had ever met. If he didn’t show up to breakfast in the morning, Will would pound on the door of the Hades cabin until he rolled out of bed and told him to go away, which he of course didn’t. If Nico even _thought_ about using any Underworld-related magic, Will’s psychic powers kicked in and he gave a blunt no. If Nico didn’t listen, then a lecture regarding his health and safety and self-preservation was sure to follow. He was convinced that Will just really loved ranting about really pointless things.

The first day spent at the infirmary was infuriating, the second slightly less unbearable, but by the third, Nico wasn’t sure he even wanted to leave. He was so used to fending for himself all the time that being under the care of someone else entirely felt new and dangerous, but Will’s constant nagging and persistence to make Nico healthy again was starting to grow on him. He hadn’t had someone fuss over him this much since Bianca was alive. It was sort of nice, even if it meant giving up his pride and dignity.

Will finally let him go that afternoon, after precisely seventy-two hours had passed. As Nico stood up from the cot he had stayed in—carefully, making sure he was fit to walk on his own—he noticed that Will, rather than wearing his usual annoyed frown or cheerful grin, looked genuinely concerned. His complexion was paler than normal, his fingers twisting with nervous energy, and Nico was wondering if he was about to be sick.

“Are you alright?” he asked without really thinking about it.

Will glanced up from the floor he had been studying so intently. “Me? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” He then paused, the realization of what Nico’s words meant dawning on him. “Wait. Did _you_ just ask _me_ how I was _feeling?_ ”

Nico knew his face was turning red. “Maybe…yeah, what’s wrong with that?”

Will smirked. “So you were worried about me.”

Nico was going to gut him, as soon as he found his sword. “No. I just didn’t want you to throw up. ‘Cause you look kind of sick.”

His grin faded. “Oh.” He hesitated, glancing around the room as if afraid of being watched. “Well, uh, I’ll be fine, Nico, as long as you promise to come visit sometimes. The rest of the patients are leaving tonight, and I’ll be awfully bored all by myself. Even if I’m not working in the infirmary. Okay?”

Was that what he was nervous about?

He couldn’t fathom why.

“I can make some time, I guess,” he stuttered. “I can…I can meet you for breakfast in the morning…if you want.”

Will’s face lit up. “That would be nice.”

Nico wasn’t quite sure what to say after that, so he just gave a small smile.

“See you around, then,” Will said, with a light punch to his non-injured shoulder.

He nodded, and then ducked out the door.

***

When Nico woke up the next morning in his own bed, he almost didn’t recognize where he was.

The Hades cabin was much darker than the infirmary. He glanced around the room, wondering if when he renovated his cabin he could possibly recreate the way sunlight had poured in through the windows and awoken him from his cot each of those three days. Also, those black curtains were hideous. They needed to be dumped in a pile of pegasus dung.

Then he felt his stomach grumbling, and decided it would be nicer to enjoy some breakfast than hang around in this gloomy place. So he got up, pulled on a pair of jeans, and headed out into the daylight.

Jason was already waiting for him by the Hades table, much to Nico’s surprise.

“Dude!” he greeted, a grin spreading across his face. “You made it out of the infirmary alive?”

“Barely,” Nico grumbled. “Will’s a maniac.”

“A maniac that cares about your health,” Jason corrected as they sat down. He eyed Nico’s full plate of food and smiled approvingly. “I see he’s got you eating full meals again.”

Nico shoved a fork-full of scrambled eggs in his mouth so he didn’t have to reply, and Jason laughed.

As he started some story about a capture the flag game that happened while Nico was stuck in prescribed bed rest, Nico glanced toward the Apollo table. He counted ten smiling faces, but Will was not among them. 

He huffed in annoyance. What a hypocrite, preaching all day long about the importance of a balanced diet and wholesome breakfast when he didn’t even attend the first meal of the day himself.

“Looking for someone?” Jason asked.

Nico’s head snapped back to him. “No.”

A smirk had already worked its way into appearance. “You totally are. And I know exactly who it is.”

He could feel his face flushing. “Shut up!”

Jason just spread his hands and shrugged. “I don’t mind if you wanna go look for him. I’ll be fine on my own.”

Nico was hesitant at first, but with another nod from the son of Jupiter, he was up and out of his chair and heading towards the cabins.

It was hard for him to believe he was actually doing this—worrying so much about a camper he’d known for such a short amount of time. But if he didn’t find Will, or at least know what was up with him, he knew it would nag at him all day long.

It was dumb. Will was dumb. He was dumb.

He knocked on the door of the Apollo cabin.

Moments later, a small boy with wacky neon blue hair opened it, holding a flute in one hand and looking slightly annoyed. 

He glanced Nico up and down. “How may I help you?”

Nico shifted his feet. “Uh, do you know where Will is?”

“At breakfast.”

He shook his head. “He wasn’t there.”

The kid raised an eyebrow. “Really? Hm. I’d check the infirmary, then, I guess, even though I don’t think there are any more patients.” With that, he waved quickly and then shut the door.

The infirmary? It obviously wasn’t out of the ordinary for Will to be there, but early in the morning, when no one was currently staying there…it was suspicious, and Nico couldn’t help worrying a little bit.

When he reached the entrance, he knocked, nerves running a mile a minute. He didn’t want to barge in if Will was in the middle of something.

He waited for thirty seconds, with no answer. _Maybe I should just go; he’s probably fine_ , he was thinking, when he caught a tiny sound coming from inside.

It took him a few moments to figure it out, but then he realized someone was crying.

It was muffled, as if the person was covering their face with a cloth, trying to minimize the volume as much as possible, but it was a cry nonetheless. And it wasn’t stopping. 

Nico was no good at comforting people. He would just make things worse. He should run, and get away before anyone saw him standing here.

But his instincts wouldn’t let him. Someone was in trouble, and they needed help, and he was the only one who knew. Slowly and cautiously, he opened the door just far enough to peer through. 

It squeaked, and the crying ceased.

“Who’s there?” a voice called, high-pitched and shaky. Nico recognized it immediately, and stepped into the room.

Will Solace was sitting in the far corner, against the wall, face streaked with tears.

His eyes widened when they locked with Nico’s, and he tried to stand up, but failed and fell right back down.

Nico stared, with no idea what to do. “Will?” he choked.

Will hung his head. “I’m sorry. I know I said I’d get breakfast with you this morning. I just…” He didn’t finish the sentence, only sighing miserably.

Nico carefully stepped over and crouched down in front of him, not too close, but enough so that he could talk to him quietly.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “What’s…what’s wrong?”

Will raised his eyes again and exhaled deeply. “I guess, out of all people, you’d understand,” he began. “It’s about the war, Nico. So many people—so many _young children_ —died, and I couldn’t save them.” He paused to look away. “I’m so freaking useless.”

Nico’s breath caught in his throat. How could Will feel like this? He had helped him so, so much. He wouldn’t even be alive if not for Will saving his nearly-translucent ass. He was the complete _opposite_ of _useless_. 

“No! I mean…that’s not true,” he blurted, catching Will’s attention. “You saved a lot of people. More than the ones who died.”

Will shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. They’re still dead, for no reason other than the fact that I’m a sorry excuse for a healer.”

Nico wished he was better with words. He’d tell Will how amazing he was, how incredibly talented and unyieldingly kind and even fun to be around, despite how annoying he could be at times. But he couldn’t find it in himself to say any of it. Instead, he reached out, scared and unsure, and took one of Will’s hands in his own.

Will didn’t resist. He even gave a halfhearted smile for a brief moment, before facing the floor again. 

Nico couldn’t bear to see him so dejected. _He_ was the one who was supposed to be Mr. Gloom-and-Doom Son of Hades. He was supposed to be sad. Will wasn’t. He was the demigod equivalent of a freaking sunbeam. He didn’t deserve any of this darkness in his life.

Since Nico couldn’t find his own words, he borrowed his father’s. “Some deaths can’t be prevented,” he said quietly.

Will didn’t respond, and Nico squeezed his hand tighter. “Those kids died for a noble cause. They’ll make it to Elysium. We just need to honor and remember them.” He brushed his thumb cautiously across the back of Will’s fingers—it felt strange and new, yet simple and right at the same time. “None of this is your fault. It’s Gaea’s, entirely.”

Will looked up at him and smiled gratefully, though pain and regret still lingered in his gaze. “Thank you, Nico,” he said softly, barely more than a whisper.

Nico smiled in return. “You can still cry, if you want. It’s good for you.”

Will nodded, and then proceeded to drop his head onto Nico’s shoulder.

Nico let him. He wrapped his arms around Will’s back, keeping him close and steady as his sobs echoed through the dark, empty room.

A few minutes later, they slowed to short breaths and sniffles, and Nico noticed a small patch of sunlight streaming in through the half-closed blinds. 

“Let’s go over here,” he mumbled, carefully moving both Will and himself over to sit underneath it. The tiny bit of light warmed their backs as one leaned against the other, supported by strong arms.

Nico lifted a hand to run through Will’s blond curls, hoping it would soothe him even further, and he leaned into the touch with a sigh.

“Thanks, again,” he mumbled.

“No problem,” Nico replied, and he really meant it.

Will took his free hand and looked at one finger at a time, the way he did back in the middle of battle when they were turning transparent. “You know, you could stand to listen to your own advice once in a while,” he chuckled.

“That’s why you’re here,” Nico replied. “To give me advice, since I can’t seem to follow my own.”

“Exactly,” Will agreed. “That’s what friends are for.”

 _Friends._ Nico’s chest felt unusually warm. He could maybe deal with being friends—though that usually involved doing terrifying activities such as playing camp games, going to the bonfire, and hanging out. That would take some getting used to.

For now, he was content to just rest there with Will, wrapped in each other’s warmth.


End file.
